A RETIRED PENNSYLVANIA PASTOR CHARGED WITH KILLING BOTH OF HIS WIVES GOES ON TRIAL MONDAY IN THE DEATH OF HIS SECOND WIFE. SIXTY-FOUR-YEAR-OLD ARTHUR SCHIRMER IS CHARGED WITH KILLING BETTY JEAN SCHIRMER IN 2008 AND STAGING A CAR ACCIDENT TO COVER IT UP. JURY SELECTION IS EXPECTED TO TAKE A DAY, WITH OPENING STATEMENTS TUESDAY AT THE MONROE COUNTY COURTHOUSE IN STROUDSBURG. SCHIRMER ALSO STANDS ACCUSED OF KILLING HIS FIRST WIFE, JEWEL, IN 1999. A TRIAL DATE HASN'T BEEN SET. A GRAND JURY HAS SAID SCHIRMER LIKELY USED BLUNT OBJECTS TO KILL THE WOMEN. THE RETIRED CLERGYMAN DENIES HURTING EITHER OF HIS WIVES.
REPUBLICAN STATE REP. JUSTIN SIMMONS SAYS IGNORING THE STATE'S DECAYING ROADS AND BRIDGES SIMPLY CANNOT CONTINUE IN 2013. "WHEN YOU HAVE THE MOST STRUCTURALLY DEFICIENT BRIDGES IN THE UNITED STATES, IT'S A TIME BOMB WAITING TO TICK AND IT'S A SAFETY HAZARD," SIMMONS SAYS. DEMOCRATIC STATE SENATOR LISA BOSCOLA AGREES AND SAYS WHEN IT COMES TO FIGURING OUT A WAY TO PAY FOR THE NEEDED INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIRS, THIS YEAR MAY BE NOW OR NEVER. "IF WE DON'T DO THIS THIS YEAR, 2014 IS ANOTHER ELECTION YEAR AND LAWMAKERS REALLY HATE TO TACKLE TOUGH ISSUES IN AN ELECTION YEAR. SO EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT THIS IS THE YEAR. AND THEN, WE HAVE A GOVERNOR'S RACE. SO THE POLITICS IS ALSO DRIVING US TO DO SOMETHING," BOSCOLA SAYS. SHE SAYS ONE OF THE KEY FUNCTIONS OF STATE GOVERNMENT IS INFRASTRUCTURE AND SHE HOPES THE GOVERNOR AND FELLOW LAWMAKERS RECOGNIZE THAT.
IT SOUNDS LIKE HOST OF WAEB'S 'MORE THAN MONEY' PROGRAM GENE DICKISON'S ADVICE TO THE AVERAGE INVESTOR IN THE NEW YEAR CAN BE SUMMED UP IN THREE WORDS: PROCEED WITH CAUTION. "I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR WHAT I WOULD CALL THE AVERAGE INVESTOR TO BECOME DEFENSIVE. THAT MEANS MAKING YOUR CURRENT INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO MUCH SAFER AND MUCH MORE CONSERVATIVE THAN THEY MIGHT NORMALLY BE," DICKISON SAYS. HE EXPECTS 2013 TO BE A HIGHLY VOLATILE YEAR AND ONE THAT REQUIRES INVESTORS TO BE WILLING AND ABLE TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
THE NORTHAMPTON COUNTY CORONER'S OFFICE SAYS THE MAN WHO DIED IN A WEEKEND ACCIDENT IN BETHLEHEM WAS AN INDIANA MAN WHO WAS IN OUR AREA VISITING FRIENDS. 42-YEAR-OLD DWAYNE HACKETT WAS KILLED IN THE CRASH THAT HAPPENED AT 6:30 SATURDAY NIGHT IN FRONT OF THE JUST BORN CANDY FACTORY ON STEFKO BOULEVARD. INVESTIGATORS BELIEVE HACKETT MAY HAVE BEEN DRIVING TOO FAST WHEN HE LOST CONTROL OF HIS CAR AND HIT A TREE AND THEN A POLL.
A WEEKEND FIRE HAS FORCED A COOPERSBURG FAMILY OF FIVE FROM THEIR HOME. THE FIRE BEGAN AT 4 O'CLOCK SATURDAY AFTERNOON AT 329 EAST STATION AVENUE. THERE'S NO WORD YET ON WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE. NO INJURIES ARE REPORTED.
LEHIGH GUARD C.J. MCCOLLUM WILL BE SIDELINED EIGHT TO 10 WEEKS BECAUSE OF A BROKEN LEFT FOOT. MCCOLLUM, THE NATION'S LEADING SCORER AND AN ASSOCIATED PRESS' PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN, WAS INJURED SATURDAY IN THE FIRST HALF OF A LOSS AT VCU. MCCOLLUM WAS ON CRUTCHES BY GAME'S END, HIS LEFT FOOT WRAPPED. MCCOLLUM WAS FIFTH NATIONALLY WITH 21.9 POINTS PER GAME LAST SEASON AND DREW PLENTY OF ATTENTION BY SCORING 30 POINTS IN LEHIGH'S UPSET VICTORY OVER DUKE IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT. LEHIGH IS HOPEFUL MCCOLLUM COULD RETURN FOR THE FINAL GAME OF THE REGULAR SEASON OR THE PATRIOT LEAGUE TOURNAMENT.
TODAY IS THE FIRST WORK DAY FOR TURNPIKE DRIVERS SINCE THE TURNPIKE INCREASED TOLLS EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. "WE CERTAINLY BELIEVE THAT'S GOING TO ENTICE PEOPLE TO SIGN UP FOR E-Z PASS. AS I SPEAK, NEARLY 70 PERCENT OF OUR CUSTOMERS ARE ALREADY USING E-Z PASS," SAYS THE TURNPIKE'S CARL DeFEBO. AS OF 12:01 SUNDAY MORNING THE TURNPIKE BUMPED TOLLS 10-PERCENT HIGHER FOR CASH CUSTOMERS BUT ONLY 2-PERCENT HIGHER FOR E-Z PASS CUSTOMERS.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA HAS SIGNED INTO LAW A $9.7 BILLION BILL TO PAY FLOOD INSURANCE CLAIMS FROM SUPERSTORM SANDY. THE LAW INCREASES THE BORROWING AUTHORITY OF THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY. FEMA HAD WARNED THAT IT WAS SET TO RUN OUT OF MONEY WITHOUT ADDITIONAL DOLLARS FROM CONGRESS. THE WHITE HOUSE SAID MORE THAN 100,000 FLOOD CLAIM PAYMENTS FROM SANDY WOULD BE DELAYED WITHOUT THE ADDITIONAL MONEY. THE HOUSE HAS YET TO ACT ON A LARGER, MORE COMPREHENSIVE SANDY AID PACKAGE. REPUBLICAN LEADERS DID NOT BRING THE BILL TO THE FLOOR BEFORE THE LAST SESSION OF CONGRESS ADJOURNED. HOUSE SPEAKER JOHN BOEHNER HAS PROMISED A VOTE JANUARY 15 ON THAT $51 BILLION PACKAGE, AND SENATE LEADERS HAVE PROMISED A VOTE THE FOLLOWING WEEK.
GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE IS SET TO MAKE ONE OF HIS BIGGEST SPEECHES OF THE YEAR. THE REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR'S "STATE OF THE STATE" SPEECH IS SET FOR TUESDAY. IT COMES AT THE START OF AN ELECTION YEAR AND AS SUPERSTORM SANDY'S DESTRUCTION HAS SHIFTED THE STATE'S PRIORITIES. DEMOCRATIC STATE SENATORS ARE PLANNING TO LAY OUT THEIR OWN PRIORITIES IN A NEWS CONFERENCE SCHEDULED FOR TODAY.
CHIP KELLY IS STAYING AT OREGON. KELLY IS REPORTEDLY PASSING UP A CHANCE TO COACH IN THE NFL TO REMAIN WITH THE DUCKS. KELLY HAD LENGTHY INTERVIEWS THIS WEEKEND WITH THE CLEVELAND BROWNS AND PHILADELPHIA EAGLES, AND ALSO TALKED TO THE BUFFALO BILLS. LAST YEAR, HE HAD TALKS WITH TAMPA BAY.
